Brands
Som Distilleries to establish Rs 600 crore facility in Uttar Pradesh
MUMBAI: Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd has announced plans for a significant expansion into Uttar Pradesh through its subsidiary, Woodpecker Greenagri Nutrients Pvt Ltd.
The company will invest approximately Rs 600 crores to develop a greenfield project in Khimsepur, Farrukhabad district. The integrated facility will include a brewery, distillery, and additional manufacturing operations.
The Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) has allocated a 40-acre land parcel for the project. Construction is expected to commence following regulatory approvals from the state government.
In a disclosure to stock exchanges, the company noted that this expansion into Uttar Pradesh—India’s most populous state—represents a strategic move to establish a truly nationwide presence. The company cited the state’s size, demographics, and business-friendly industrial policies as key factors behind the investment decision.
Som Distilleries, known for brands including Hunter beer and Black Fort whisky, has historically maintained a strong presence in central India. This new facility marks its most significant expansion into northern India to date.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
